2701. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to report on progress to meet commitments under the national human rights strategy for disabled people; the measures taken since the strategy was introduced; the key metrics identified to measure progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter [60742/26]

My Department is committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices, including a specific commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are supported in their roles.

My Department participates annually in the AHEAD Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme and the Oireachtas Work Learning (OWL) programme, each of which provides work opportunities to individuals with disabilities with additional, built-in structure and support.

My Department has a dedicated Disability Liaison Officer with whom staff with disabilities can consult and receive support and from whom managers can seek advice on supporting their teams. In compliance with Section 47(4) of the Disability Act, my Department surveys all employees annually to establish the number of employees who have a disability. My Department has exceeded the minimum target for the employment of persons with disabilities in each of the last ten years. My Department recorded that people with disabilities constituted 5.0% of the workforce in 2023, 7.1% in 2024 and 7.0% in 2025. It should be noted that disclosure by individuals of their disability status is voluntary, as is the disclosure of the nature of any disability disclosed.

There is also an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy team consisting of a diverse group of staff who discuss, propose and develop initiatives to improve inclusion in all its dimensions. A three year Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy was published in 2024.

As a public body, my Department is committed to ensuring that the services and information it provides are accessible to persons with disabilities. In accordance with Section 26 (2) of the Disability Act, I have appointed two Access Officers who are responsible for providing or arranging for assistance to persons with disabilities who wish to access any of the services provided by my Department.